My big concerns with the defensive side are this. Rex's defense has become less effective. Even if that's due to talent, he is responsible to some degree for the talent he has. 1) Has the NFL caught onto Rex and his schemes making his defenses less effective? 2) Is Rex able to produce a top defense without Revis? 3) Are we going to continue to spend most of our 1st round picks on defense? 4) If Rex cannot get back to his old ways on the defensive side, whatever the reason may be, is it worth it to stick with him for an OK defense?
Rex's D has been around a lot longer than the Jets, I don't believe the defense is an less effective due to scheme. Losing Revis has clearly hurt the Jets in the way the Jets want to play defense, but then again so has the regression / injuries of Cromartie. The flip side of the secondary woes is you see progress being made, particularly with Dee Milliner as compared to the beginning of the season. Personally, I was a huge proponent of picking offense in the first round of this past draft, and Idzik went with BPA. If Milliner continues to progress and Richardson stays awesome, that could end up being a good thing. Then again that's why he's the GM and we're not. I don't want to judge Idzik on one draft, so the jury is out there. I'd hope the Jets FO has a personnel plan for the long run or this team is screwed no matter what they do with the coaches.
I think this off-season, this upcoming season - IF we keep Rex - these questions you ask will be answered. These questions we can't really confirm right this moment. Last season we saw that the secondary didn't miss a beat without Revis, but we didn't have a strong front 7. This season the secondary was injured (Cromartie), inexperienced (Millner and Allen), and old (Ed Reed). The front 7 is the strongest unit on our team. I think of it this way - we will return 3 starters in the defensive secondary in Cro, Millner and Antonio Allen. More than likely we will have a new starter at FS. The front 7 will be more experience and more than likely - we will see a step up for Sheldon Richardson in the pass-rushing department. You don't think it's worth keeping Rex for at least 1 more seasons for those reasons I listed above? The arrow has to be pointing up - but the draft the free agency - the offense is the top and really the only priority. You go and get that free safety in the 3rd round or so. At first I thought you were just being a Rex hater, but I understand your concern - Rex fails next season, you at least get a higher probability at a better coach like a David Shaw.
this is what scares me about the prospect of losing rex as a coach. from everything ive read, rex is a great guy that people genuinely like to be around. something like that is not easy to come by, and its because of this that i am ok with letting rex work it out with the jets as opposed to trying to find someone else we can win with. i truly believe in him to take this team where it needs to be. that being said, i understand that this team has come out flat a few times under rex, but the team always fights. there are always moments even in those games where you dont completely count the team out. this is not something that can be said for previous jet regimes. in fact i cant remember the last time the jets had a team i felt was one or two big plays away from taking the game back even with a double digit deficit. the jets under rex will always have a shot to beat the other team. at least, thats how i feel as a lifelong jet fan. i hope that idzik has seen enough to at least agree to see rex through these pains and give him the actual management support he needs as a coach. lets not forget that rex, as a first time head coach, was working with a general manager that admittedly leaned on the head coaches for football knowledge, and generally had no plan other than: 1) acquire big name free agents no matter what point they are at in their career for either draft picks or ridiculous contracts 2) draft project players for what they could be rather than guys ready to play for what they are 3) ??? 4) profit ... most good teams do not just have one good head coach and the rest of the management just kinda leans on that person. the pats are an anomaly in that they drafted one of the best qbs in a generation in the 7th round and have been riding his coattails ever since. most good teams have good management, good coaching, and good players. you cant just rely on the coach to do everything.
Are you privy to information or details to make a good assessment of whether Dunbar is ready for a promotion or are you just guessing? I'm very interested in what happens to him.
I'm sorry if I misunderstood what you were trying to say, but there's no problems with my reading comprehension. I just responded to what YOU wrote. If you can't write coherently so others can understand, the problem is yours, not mine. What is it you were trying to say?
I respectfully disagree. I think Rex's basic philosophy for the 3-4 is flawed. The defense is geared to a great NT and OLBs. Rex's version of the system is predicated on having a shut down corner and blitzing, or at least it was. Initially, his DEs were pretty much solely responsible for stopping the run. Now they're supposed to rush the passer. No OLB has been drafted. Why not? Yes, topnotch ones are hard to get, but sticking with the same old, slow ones hasn't gotten the job done. His blitzes rarely work any more save against the worst teams. I just don't think he is the genius that many Jets fans do.
There haven't been any top notch pass rushers available to them. They signed Barnes, who is pretty good, but he's injured. They wanted JJ Watt in 2011, but he was taken early. It's just not that simple to get a top player in that position.
It is taking into consideration his body of work and the level of input we are told that Rex continues to have with the defense. To be honest, until Rex feels comfortable letting a guy handle the entire defense with minimal input I'll continue to be skeptical of top guys coming out under his umbrella. Does anyone know where Buffalo ended up this year in the defensive rankings?
Looking at stats alone they are better than the jets in most every meaningful defensive category. I didn't look at run d but I assume the jets are better there.
According to football outsiders, BUF is #4 overall to the Jets #13. BUF is #2 against the pass and #18 against the run where the Jets are #20 against the pass and #1 against the run. Their explanations are here on how they calculate it http://www.footballoutsiders.com/stats/teamdef BUF is #15 in total points, Jets #21. BUF gives up the 6th least yards per offensive play ,the Jets 9th. Buffalo has given the 28th least 1st downs by penalty, the Jets 12th. Buf has given up the 8th least total yards, the Jets 11th. This is according to http://www.pro-football-reference.com/years/2013/opp.htm
I know it isn't that easy, but the way Tanny traded up for other players/positions, if getting an OLB had been a priority, he would have done what was necessary to get one. In addition, the Jets had a chance to draft several OLBs in the 2nd or 3rd rounds and took other players instead.
Interesting. I also remember Rex crediting Pettine for switching from the aggressive blitzing to a more coverage-based defense when they shocked the Pats in Foxborough. Perhaps the reason the Jets D was so good was because of Pettine moreso than Rex.
I don't see how you come to that conclusion without taking some huge leaps and bounds. Football outsiders also has Buffalo playing the 30th worst schedule in offensive DVOA vs the 23rd worst for the Jets so far. Rex has been a huge part to the defense and hopefully the blitz percentages are released soon for this year, because I'm guessing we are going to drop again in blitz % compared to the previous 4 years
I think Marty has to stay either way. Consistency is so important to young qb. Smith looked terrible this year. I don't see him bouncing back if he has to learn a new system. Just like sanchez, smith has show minor flashes of good things.. you see how sanchez imploded once sporano came in. I see smith going the same way. The jets through its history lacks consistency. Sometimes you rough out bad times and believe in what your building. I think the jets need to try that. Rexs retention or firing will determine that. We start over every few years with same results. Time to try something different.
I thought this at first, but we can't saddle an incoming HC with an OC. They should get to pick who they want and if they want MM, even better for us. But otherwise, it has to be a clean sweep. In 2009 Rex was given Schotty, in 2013 Idzik was given Rex. If you want to push the reset button, the Jets should finally completely do it
